Evaporating unit



Nov. 1, 1932- E. L. BARNES 1,885,671

EVAPORATINGIUNIT Filed March 28, 1931 -2 Sheets-Sheet 1 S. E 5 u RM m W k. a M rm 1; w g s 4 m s 6 U7 a B 4 5 M Z Nov. 1, 1932. E. L. BARNES EVAPORATING UNI T Filed March 28, 1931 '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I EUGENE L.

Patented Nev. 1, 1932 EUGENE L. BARNES, or 3mm, NEW Yon]: avaroaa'rme um Application filed March as, 1931. Serial No. 525,945.

My invention relates in general to evaporating units, and in particular to such units as are used in refrigerating systems of the 7 household type.

' It is well known to those skilled in the art that at present considerable difiiculty is experienced in keeping the lubricant in re frigerating systems in circulation in the evaporating unit. This is so because there is little tendency of the refrigerant to circulate in such units, particularly when there is a difi'e'rence in specific gravity between the refrigerant and the lubricant. When the specific gravity of the refrigerant is even '5 slightly less than the lubricant,'the lubricant has a tendency to settle to the bottom, re-

sulting in a consequent decrease in the efficiency of the unit.

The principal object of my invention has been to provide a refrigerating unit in which there shall be a positive circulation of the refrigerant contained. therein.

Another object has been to provide a refrigerating unit which shall give maximum 95 exposed area for any given cubical space occupied by the unit.

Moreover, it has been an object to provide an evaporator unit, all the walls'of which, except those at the end, shall be made of a single piece of sheet material.

Furt ermore, my device is simple and inexpensive to manufacture, and very durable in construction. I

The above objects and advantages have been accomplished by the device shown in the accompanylng drawings, of which: ig. 1 is an end view of a preferred form of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, side elevation- Fig. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, see- Fig. 6 is a fragmentary, end elevation of a detailed modification of the invention shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary, and elevation of my device constructed in a modified way.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 9.

Fig. 9 is an.enlarged, fragmentary,.sectional view, taken on line 9-9 of Fig. 8 i V Fig. 10 is a fragmentary view of another modified form of invention.

. Fig. 11 is a. fragmentary, side elevation of the form of device shown in' Fig. 10.

'Fig. 12 is a modified form of invention showing a specific type of ice tray support.

My device comprises in general a pair of adjacent refrigerant chambers having their. axes in a substantially horizontal plane and being connected near their tops} and bottoms by means of passageways. The liquid refrigerant coming from the condenser is do livered into one of the" chambers of the device, and the vapor refrigerant which is taken off from the device by the compressoris drawn from the other chamber, whereby circulation of fluid occurs between the chambers.-

Referring particularly to the form of m-. vention shown in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, 10 represents the inlet chamber, and 11 the outlet chamber. These chambers are arranged adjacent to each other and have their axes in a substantially horizontal plane. The chambers 10 and 11 are connected near their tops preferably 'by means of a vapor pipe 12,

whereby the vapor in thechambers will have free passa e from one chamber to another and will t us be substantially balanced in pressure. In order to have an equilibrium in the refrigerant chambers 10 and 11, it is necessary that these chambers be also connected near their bottoms. This may be accomplished in any one of a-number of well known ways, either by means of coils, passageways, or interspaced plates. In the form of invention shown in the figures just considered, passageways are formed in the walls of the ice tray compartment 15. These walls are preferably formed of two layers 16 and 17 of sheet metal which are disposed in intimate contact with each other, passageways 18 be- 'ing formed in the'sheet 16 by forcing the extending up the side wall 23 with its obliquely formed portion 24 and then being fashioned circularly so as to form the side walls 26 of the refrigerant chamber 10. After the sheet is extended around the circle forming this wall, it is brought in contact with the layer 16 at the point indicated at 27 where the joint is preferably welded so as to make a completely liquid-tight side wall. From this point the sheet is extended in the layer identified by the numeral 17 downwar ly along the side wall 23 with its obliqtpe portion 24 and in intimate contact with t e layer 16 of such side wall. It is extended across the bottom 22 and up the opposite side wall 28 with its oblique portion 29 of the ice tray compartment. When this part of the sheet reaches the point 30, it is then fashioned like the cylinder 10 into side wall 31 of the refrigerant cylinder 11. When the material has been formed into this circular side wall and is brought again to the point 30, it will then be extended in the layer 16 down the side wall 28 and its oblique portion 29 and across the bottom 22 terminating in'end 21 of the sheet. The end 21 is offset the thickness of the material so as to lie flatly against the end 20, as clearly shown in Figs. 1, 4 and 5. The joint thusformed is suitably welded so as to make the walls of the ice tray compartment tight. The ridges 19 are, of course,

formed only on that portion of 'the sheet which is indicated as layer 16, such ridges terminating at the points where the layers of the sheet formin the side wall join with the portions thereo which form the refrigerant chambers. The upper ends of these Ild es are cut off substantially at right angles an are joined to the side walls 26 and 31 of the refrigerant chambers 11 and 10, respectively. These ends are welded to the side walls so as to make a tight'joint and openings 35 (as shownin Fig. 2) are formed in the said side walls so as to connect the interior of the chambers with the passageways 18 formed in-the walls of the ice tray compartment. It will be clear fromthe above description that the refrigerant chambers 10 and 11 are connected together near their lower portions by means of the passageways 18. It is preferable to form at some point in the bottom wall 22 a longitudinal header passageway 36 opening into the passageways 18 at each side of the unit, as clearly shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 5. Where the ends 20 and 21 overlap, the material forming the portions of the sheet 16 lying between the corrugations at such ends is not brought up to and in contact with the surface of the other layer 17, but is depressed, as shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 5, for some distance back, thus terminating the passageways 18 short of the ends 20 and 21, whereby the longitudinal passageway 36 is formed.

Where it is desired to obviate the necessity of terminating the upper edges of the ridges and welding them to the side walls of the refrigerant chambers, the form of invention shown in Fig. 6 may be used. As here shown, a relatively large curved portion 40 is formed at the end of each of the ridges 19 where the ridge joins the side wall 26 of'the chamber and these portions are formed at the time the ridges are formed.

Fitted into the front ends of the chambers 10 and 11 are end heads 41 and 42, respectively, which are welded in place so as to make .the chambers leak-proof. Suitable heads 43 are also secured into the rear ends of the chambers 10 and 11 to which the gas pipe 12 is attached. These heads are, of' course, welded in place in a leak-proof manner. The ice tray compartment 15 is closed usual float 47 which is connected in the cusat its rear end preferably by means of a walltomary manner with the liquid inlet fitting 1 45 so as to maintain a level of liquid within the chambers 10 and 11.. a

Reference is now to be had to the invention shown in Figs. 7 to 9, where for clearness of illustration only one of the refrigerant chambers 50 is shown. The device is, however, constructed, as in the form of invention just described, of a single sheet of material, and it is designed to obviate the tendency of the ridges in the form shown in Fig. 1 to flatten at the corners of the ice tray compartment or at any other place where bends in the material are to be formed. In this form wherever a bend is to.be provided, the ridges terminate and are continued in a formation of a ridge in the opposite layer of the sheet.- Thus in this form the sheet is continued acrossthe bottom 51 of the ice compartment from the end 52 in a fiat condition. When the corner 53 is reached where'a right 57 of material is fiat.

angled bend is to be formed, the flat material is bent at rightangles, and ridges 54 are formed in the side wall 55 and extend outwardly on the surface thereof from the corner 53 until the corner 56 is reached. The ridges terminateatthe angle 56 and the materialis then bent at the desired angle and from this point on until the place where the chamber isto be formed is reached this layer The side wall 58 of the chamber is thereafter formed, and it is welded at point 59 where it joins the layer 57 as in the other form of invention. The ridges 60, however, in this portion of the wall extending from the side wall ofthe refrigerant chamber 50 to the upper end of the side wall are formed in the layer 61.- At a point opposite the ridges 60, the wall 58 of the chamber is formed with openings similar to the openings 35 of the form of Fig. 2. The point in the layer 61 at the upper end of the side wall where the'ridges 60 are attached is also provided with openings so that the passageways formed in the ridges 57 may have communication with the passageways formed by the ridges 60 in the manner shown in Figs. 8 and 9, which will now be described.

- The layer 61 is continued down the side wall with the form of Fig.

55 in contact with the layer 57 and'it is bent at right angles at the point 53 and extended across the bottom 51 of the ice compartment on top of the layer 57. The ridges 62 across the bottom of the ice tray compartment areformed .in the layer 61 and these ridges terininate at the point where the bend 53 is formed. The end face of the ridge is in confact with the layer 61 of the side wall as clearly shown in Fig. 8 and this end is welded to such layer so as to completely seal the passageway. An opening 65 is formed in the layer 61 of the side wall at the bottom thereof (see Figs. 8 and 9) and in registering position with the passageway of the ridges 62, whereby there is communication between the passageways-of the bottom 51 and side Walls 55 of the device. Obviously, the material is continued from the point where it is broken off, for clearness of illustration, and

the opposite refrigerant chamber and side wall formed from the same piece of mate rial, as hereinbefore described in connection 1.

In Figs. 10 and 11 I show a form of invention in which the passagewayconnecting the bottoms of the formed by 67. So as refrigerant chambers are to strengthen the unit and to increase the radiating surface thereof, the walls 66 and 67 are formed in serpentine fashion by means of the corrugations 71,- a spacer 68 beingprovi d at each end'of the chamber and at as many intermediate points as is deemed necessary to keep the layers properly separated. lVhere the separator is located at the edges of the layers, it is obvious that the the two interspaced layers 66 and a provided between the inter-spaced layers for permitting communication between the two chambers. Asin the other modification of Fig. 7 only one refrigerant chamber 70 is shown, but it is clear that two chambers are also provided in this form and that both chambers as well as the ice tray compartment may be formed from a single sheet of material.

Where it is desired to form a partition for holding a. plurality of ice trays, the form of invention shown in Fig.12 is used. As here shown, a shelf or partition 72 extends inwardly toward the center of the ice tray compartment 73 for accommodating at one side of the compartment two ice trays 7 4 and 75.

Where such a shelf or partition is formed at only one side of the compartment, anfice tray 76 of maximum height may be used at at the point 78 being welded so as to prevent the liquid refrigerant from getting in between the layers of the material forming the shelf. The refrigerant chambers 79 and 80 as well as the ridges 81 are formed as described in connection with the form of invention shown in Fig. 1. It is obvious, however, that this shelf or support may be formed on either of the forms of invention shown in the other figures of the drawings.

1 have referred to the welding of the joint in the form of invention shown in Figs. 10 and 11 at the edges of the ice tray compartment and it is obvious that in the other forms of invention where the layers of material come together at the edges,

they are suitably welded so as to make the entire device leakproof. The walls of the ice tray compart- ,to be noted. however, that one fitting is attached to one of the chambers and the other fitting is attached that the chambers to theother chamber, and

are, therefore, connected increase the vaporization of the refrigerant, and tend to lower the level of the liquid refrigerant in. the chambers as the vapor gas 7 ing the body.

is drawn away. Since both chambers 10 and ll are connected together, any lowering in the level of the refrigerant in the chambers will immediately be compensated for by the liquid flowing into the chamber 10 through the liquid control valve connected thereto. The level of the liquid will, of course, be maintained constant in both chambers, and in doing so there will necessarily be a definite flow of the liquid refrigerant from chamber 10 to chamber 11, which will cause the lubricant contained in the refrigerantto be carried along with it and to be thus kept in circulation. From the chamber 11 the lubricant is purged in any well known manner.

While I have shown but two adjacent cylinders with connections between them at the top for; the passage of vapor and at the bottom for the passage of liquid refrigerant, it

ally horizontal plane, and a compartment arranged below the chamber, the bodies of such chambers and the-walls of the compartment being formed of a single sheet of material, the portions of such sheet which lie adjacent each other being formed with ridges providing refrigerant passageways, and means for sealing the ends of the piece of materialforming the body.

3'. An evaporating unit for refrigerating apparatus, comprising refrigerant chambers arranged in a substantially horizontal plane, and an ice tray compartment arranged beneath the chambers, the bodies of the chambers and ice tray compartment being formed of a single piece of material formed with refrigerant passageways.

'4.- An evaporating unit for refrigerating apparatus, comprising a pair of adjacent, refrigerant chambers arranged in a substan-' tially horizontal plane, an ice tray compartment arranged beneath the chambers, the bodies of the chambers and ice tray compartment being formed of a single piece of material, and ridges formed in thcim'aterial, thus providing refrigerant passageways.

In testimony whereof I signed my name. I EUGENE L. BARNES.

is obvious that more than two refrigerant chambers may be used if desired, the chambers would, of course, be connected near their upper and lower portions, and the liquid inlet fitting would be connected to one end chamber while the vapor outlet fitting would be connected to the other end chamber.

Obviously, these and other modifications of the details herein shown and described may be made without departing from the spirit ofmy invention or the scope of the appended claims, and I do not, therefore, wish to be limited to the exact embodiment herein shown and described, the form shown being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. An evaporating unit for refrigerating apparatus, comprising a pair of adjacent, refrigerant chambers arranged in a substantial 1y horizontal plane, and ranged below the chambers, the bodies of such chambers and the walls of the comparta compartment arment being formed of a single sheet of material, the portions of such sheet which lie adjacent each other being formed with re frigerant passageways, and means for sealing the ends of the piece 2. An evaporating unit for refrigerating apparatus, comprising a pair of adjacent, refrigerant chambers arranged ina substantiof material formf a pair of adjacent,

have hereunto 5 1: 

